military has done killed osama bin laden. you did not. >> a group of former special ops and cia officers slam the president for exploiting the bin laden operation for political gain. worried homeowners are watching the weather as major wildfires are raging across the west. we have a packed show this morning. democratic congressman kathy castor will be our guest. jason cheffetz and john negroponte joins us and "starting point" begins right now. welcome, everybody, our starting point this morning is the paul ryan factor. a new poll shows ryan's addition to the ticket has turned his home state of wisconsin into a battle ground state now. the overall numbers aren't changing much, 49% of registered

voters say they back president obama, 45% say they support governor romney. it's very positive polling of ryan in that state that now makes it up for grabs in our cnn analysis. a state that hasn't gone red since ronald reagan. >> hey, soledad, if you look at the poll, it doesn't really -- ryan doesn't radically change the polling but does change the perception each of those campaigns has about this election. after all, wisconsin is really very key to both sides, 10 electoral votes. if you look at 2008, barack obama won it by 14 points. we're looking at quite a difference. also, it's a state that there are now eight states as toss-ups so a lot is changing and you'd have to say that the obama campaign is still evaluating how realistically ryan does change the equation.

>> we also heard governor romney for the first time in a little while talk about taxes. his own taxes once again, bringing that back into the conversation. what did he say? >> well, this is an issue that doesn't seem to go away. it's in the white house and obama's interest to not have it go away. as you know, governor romney has released one year, 2010 and kind of a summary, an estimate of 2011 taxes. and the democrats, the obama campaign have been yelling for him to release more. he has not done that and harry reid said, release all of them. in fact, he said, governor romney hadn't paid taxes -- any taxes for ten years. so romney went back and looked at his taxes and claims he paid at least 13%. now, the punch line i guess you would have to say is the obama campaign says, prove it. which means, you would have to release all of your taxes.

so we're back to this kind of circular thing and it's an issue for the obama campaign, they don't want to go away. >> jill dougherty, thank you, appreciate it. we'll get more on the race for the white house in just a few moments when we talk to kathy castor. let's get right to john berman. >> we have developing news out of afghanistan. two service members have been killed this morning. the u.s. military says a uniformed afghan officer turned his weapon on the troops in the farah province before being shot and killed himself. this is the latest incident in a string of similar attacks on u.s. forces and follows a taliban statement that the group says it has infiltrated afghanistan security forces. cnn cannot independently confirm that statement as of right now the incident is under investigation. wildfires burning out of

control across the sun scorched pacific northwest. dozens of fires burning in 13 states, most of them in california and nevada and idaho. in western washington state, there is a new concern and it's lightning. let's bring in meteorologist rob marcia marciano. a handful of evacueeses have been able to go back to their home, but they are the exception, aren't they? >> reporter: just a few on southeastern flank where they are confident they held the line. we're on the northeastern flank where the hills are still glowing behind me. there's a large community where those residents won't be able to go back for quite some time. this fire crews on the ground and aerial assault continues with military choppers coming in with shinooks. we talked abo eed about the unpredictable nature. >> this one was different.

you couldn't predict it. the wind kept changing when you thought you were good. then the big wall of flames had come up and go a different direction. >> reporter: he and his wife managed to escape their home but their house was burnt to the ground. they are not alone. over 60 homes completely destroyed by this fire. the winds have died down but the heat has built again. temperatures reached 100 degrees and we'll see it again today. as you mentioned in your toss to me, the lightning will be a threat as thunderstorms pop over the weekend. a fire weather watch has been posted through sunday. no one will rest easily until then, until this fire is completely contained. and that won't be until at least next week. >> rob marciano next to the fires in washington state. have a good morning. the west nile aerial assault beginning in texas. dallas county conducting spraying to control mosquitos and put a stop to the epidemic.

230 people have been infected and ten have died and in neighboring oklahoma, 61 people have been infected with west nile and three people have died there. this a growing concern. we talked to dr. gupta about it yesterday. wisconsin now up for grabs, cnn calling that state which hasn't gone republican since 1984, a toss-up. kathy castor a member of the house budget committee, nice to see you. we appreciate it. >> good morning. >> you too. let's talk about the recent polls that we started our program with this morning. when -- essentially in a nutshell says wisconsin is in play, a state that went to president obama in 2008. the numbers haven't changed really since polling before paul ryan was tapped to be the vp on the gop ticket, things that have changed is polling about him, favorable. his favorablety is high, 50%

choice of a running mate. people say excellent or good. 54%. is he qualified? look at the answer to that. the answer yes, 56%. you've got to be concerned with those numbers in the polls and not just for wisconsin, really for the whole midwest region, right? >> well, it is natural that the home state congressman is going to provide a little bit of a surge in wisconsin. but what the addition of congressman paul ryan does for mitt romney across the country, especially here in my home state of florida will be a real drag because of their extreme views on medicare and their plan to end medicare as we know it. people are just now learning the details of this medicare voucher plan. and they are not going to like it, especially here in florida and tampa bay area where we have more of my neighbors that rely

on medicare than other parts of the country usually. >> and republicans would say it's not ending medicare as we know it. it's giving a vouper system that would help people pay for it and start thinking i guess hard choices about how you pay for things, how you fund something that we look down the road is going to run out of money. >> well, to the contrary, what the nonpartisan cbo has established that it does not save any money. it simply shifts the cost to our parents and grandparents, cbo says on average medicare beneficiary would pay over $6,000 more. look, medicare is one of things that makes america great. it's that fundamental promise that you work hard and play by the rules and pay into medicare, all of your working life. it is going to be there for you and you can live your retirement years in dignity. even when you're confronted with a diagnosis of alz himer's,

cancer, heart disease. what mitt romney has done with the addition of paul ryan is crystallize this issue of the economic security of our families. people on medicare but also the next generation like me, where we have relied on medicare because if our parents didn't have it, that would be an economic crisis for our entire family. >> what we're seeing now is a battle over the messaging of medicare. republicans trying to win the battle over the messaging and ultimately, do you think whoever wins that battle over the message of who's going to save or who's going to destroy medicare is going to win the election? >> i think it is going to be a very important part of it because whether you're talking about jobs or medicare, fundamentally it's the economic security of our families and the romney policies really are a threat to the middle class. look at the tax policy. they want to provide additional tax breaks to the wealthiest across the country.

those who do not need it and ask middle class families to pay more. then when you pile on top of that, a proposal to end medicare as we know it and turn it into a voucher system rather than that fundamental promise that is made -- has been made to generations of americans, that is -- you're speaking right to the heart of what's important to families. i was out at the senior center on west side of tampa and town and country on friday, even before paul ryan was named and their issue is how am i going to make ends meet in retirement. i have health concerns. i have children and grandchildren -- >> again -- >> who have been struggling. >> whoever wins that messaging battle will have the great advantage. congresswoman kathy castor, thanks for talking with us. >> thank you, soledad. >> coming up, we'll hear from the romney camp, jason chaffetz will be my guest in our next

hour. still ahead on "starting point," a standoff outside an embassy in london going on right now. inside is one of the most controversial men in the world. diplomatic dare game with julian assange. >> it's an online witch hunt in a way. ebay targeting the occult. we're back in a moment. ♪ [ acoustic guitar: upbeat ] [ dog ] we found it together. on a walk, walk, walk. love to walk. yeah, we found that wonderful thing. and you smiled. and threw it. and i decided i would never, ever leave it anywhere. because that wonderful, bouncy, roll-around thing... had made you play. and that... had made you smile. [ announcer ] beneful. play. it's good for you.

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we are minding your business this morning. federal officials issued an alert to motor coach companies that focus on overweight limits on tires when double deck buses are loaded, following an accident in illinois that killed one passenger and injured others two weeks ago. u.s. stocks are poised for a mixed start and quiet trading week. dow and s&p 500 futures are down

slightly while nasdaq futures are trading higher. facebook shares rose slightly after falling more than 6% in trading thursday. money is moving to asia, a new survey called the weather report says singapore will be home to the richest people in the world. the list is dominated by asian company, $138,000, followed by hong kong, taiwan and south korea. the only western country is the u.s. with a per capita income of $101,000. the future of julian assange is very much in question this morning. the wikileaks founder still holed up in the ecuador yan embassy where he took refuge two months ago to avoid extradition to sweden to face sexual assault charges.

he is set to give a prepared statement in the doorway of the embassy on sunday. and that's critical, in the doorway because if he steps outside of the embassy, he could face arrest. officials announced that the embassy will give him diplomatic asylum saying he could be sent to the united states for leaking sensitive documents. protesters gathered as british authorities made it clear they are not going to allow him to leave. >> we will not allow mr. assange safe passage out of the united kingdom, nor is there any legal basis to do so. they do not accept the principle of diplomatic asylum. >> john negroponte, the chairman of the council of americas. thanks for talking with us. if you do a good news/bad news, good news is ecuador has granted you asylum. bad news you are stuck in the

ecuadorian embassy in london, a room with one window. if he walks out the door or literally leaves the front door, is he subject to arrest? >> my understanding is that the british will arrest him and extradite him to sweden. that has been the judicial process in the united kingdom. that's what would happen. i served in ecuador, it happens some 40 years ago as political counselor in the embassy so i know a little about the country. i think they've consistently had problems of governance and i think in part the president is trying to cover up for the inadequacy of his own country's political system, the mistreatment, it's kind of ironic, the mistreatment of the ecuadorian press in the name of press freedom out -- in the outside world. it's a very ironic situation. >> that begs the question, of course, what's in it for

ecuador? and it can't be just happenstance that there's an election down the road there and the messaging that you're able -- that that country would be able to do against the united states, true? that would be valuable as well, right? >> clearly he's doing this for a political considerations. i think he wants to, hugo chavez of venezuela is ill at the moment. perhaps he aspires to take the mantle of hug achavez when he passes from the scene. but i really -- i'm very concerned for the long-term relationship between the united states and ecuador. and i can't see what earthly interest in action has on the part of ecuador in terms of having good relations with the rest of the world. i think elliott angle of the u.s. congress said it well when he said that mr. correa is adopting a poke the u.s. in the

eye attitude. and i agree entirely with that. >> we'll see where it goes. john negroponte. nice to see you, as always. appreciate your time. >> still ahead, ebay is taking a stands against black magic. banning magic potions and curses and spells. >> harry potter? >> i don't know. richard socrides, ryan lizzaxt, will cane. crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. wouldn't it be nice if there was an easier, less-expensive option than using a traditional lawyer? well, legalzoom came up with a better way. we took the best of the old and combined it with modern technology. together you get quality services on your terms,

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welcome back, i'm john berman, checking the headlines right now.

it was a wild ride in the streets of midtown, manhattan, a spooked carriage horse broke loose and bolted up broadway, right outside cnn. >> i saw it. >> people had noses pressed to the windows here. >> after this carriage broke, just minor injuries, the driver and passengers are said to be safe this morning. a louisiana sinkhole the size of a football field nearly swallowed up two workers. they had to be rescued by air boat. it first appeared two weeks ago and it xbrust keeps getting bigger. cleanup operations have been suspended because of the danger. 150 nearby homes have been evacuated. u.s. customs turning into a giant shoe closet after agencies of christian loubetain, they seized nearly 20,000 pairs of this red soled shoes. they could have raked in $18

million if they had reached the underground market. i really only found out what the shoes were about an hour ago. i'm told they are very nice. if they are being ripped off, it's a big deal, right is it. >> they are very expensive is what it is. >> john berman, knows exactsly what christian loubtan shoes are. >> they have that red sole. everybody knows, the underneath part -- they cost at least $600, they are not kidding when it's like serious money. >> do they make money's shoes? >> i don't know about that. >> our team this morning, richard socarides, a writing for the new yorker.com. and ryan lizza and will cain, a columnist for theblaze.com. if you go to ebay to buy things that are supernatural, ebay forced to ban sales of the

supernatural, starting at the end of this month, they'll take down all of those ads that sell magic spells and potions and hexs. yes, for example, magic potion of lust, very potent they say, 399 is where the bidding starts. after this month, no more. then magic motion of divine spiritual awakening, $51 on ebay. if you really have serious money, for $99,995, you can get a haunted blessed life bracelet, it was created by a kofen, but the end of this month -- >> there's a market for hexs and spells and removal of such. >> craigslist, however, is not removing. >> this won't bring out your cainian libertarianism? >> if ebay wants to remove it, they should be allowed to. >> they can go to craigslist,

reversal spells, luck spells. >> harry potter spells -- >> who would we want to put a spell on? >> my list is so long. i'll tell you on the commercial break. it is long. we want to know what you think about this story or any of our big stories. you can send us a quick video, 20 seconds or less. if you want to make a point about the show, we're calling it my end point and we'll pick one and included in the end of the show in our end point. go to our blog at cnn.com/starting point. >> maybe people can tweet us who they want to spell. >> interesting. >> it's friday, right, so we have to have a little fun. >> still ahead on "starting point," ibting new dorm rules at the university of colorado. they have a special request for under graduates who want to keep guns in their rooms. plus a group of ex-special

ops are angry, accusing president obama for taking credit for the bin laden raid. you're watching qu"starting po " point." we're back in a moment.

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welcome back to "starting point." we'll talk to former navy s.e.a.l. scott taylor, he's part of a group of former special ops who are slamming the president for leaks that they say are exploit being the bin laden operation for political gain. first right to john berman with the day's top stories. we have breaking news, a verdict is in in russia, a female punk rock group has been found guilty of hooul ganism, for performing a song critical

of vladimir putin. madonna and paul mccartney are a few artists who voiced support. each faces up to seven years in prison for that stunt. a standoff turns into a slaughter, some of the video you'll look at right now is rather disturbing. riot police in south africa opening fire with group of mine workers. 18 people killed and the pictures are horrible. it happened near johannesburg. the police say they were file -- firing in self-defense. pass around that hat. this story is truly shocking. let me walk you through it. air france flyers asked to chip in for fuel. passengers say they were asked to help pay to refuel their plane on a flight from paris to

beirut that was diverted to syria. the crew couldn't pay for fuel with a credit card because of financial sanctions that have been slapped on syria. it's not clear how the payment was eventually arranged but the flight was able to get in safely to sip prus. the former president of the border patrol union is indicted by the grand jury, for diverting union funds for personal trafg, sports tickets and portable drives to store pornography. bonner retired from the organization in 2010. in a show of solid dart, president obama and mitt romney will not run campaign ads on september 11th. similar steps were taken in 2004, and 2008 presidential campaigns, a pro obama super pac agreed not to run pack and restore our future has not immediately responded regarding their plans. the raid to kill osama bin

laden is one of the events of the obama presidency. but a new video is attacking the president for taking too much credit. look. >> mr. president, you did not kill osama bin laden. america did. the work that the american military has done killed osama bin laden. you did not. >> there are 22 more minutes to that video in which the president is accused of using intelligence leaks to score political points. it features former navy s.e.a.l.s and intelligence officers. scott taylor is the president of that group. he's also a former navy s.e.a.l.s and joins us from virginia beach. we appreciate you talking to us. >> good morning. >> in the 22 minutes, people who are interviewed are really, really furious. why are they mad? >> well, let me first preface this by saying, it it's a coalition of s.e.a.l.s, ex-cia,

marines, runs the whole gam mut. it's a serious group, highly organized and motivated and fed up with the amount of leaks that have come out of this administration in the past couple of years. >> you're mad about the leaks? >> and it also sounds like you're mad about the president taking credit for the raid too, is that right? >> yeah, we're upset about the amount -- unprecedented amount of leaks that have come out in the past couple of years and as well as the overplit sizing of the raid itself, absolutely. >> you watch the video and you have a version of the president's evening address where they announce the death of bin laden. take a look at that. >> tonight, i can report to the american people and to the world, that the united states has conducted an operation that killed osama bin laden. i directed leon panetta, the director of the cia to make the killing or capture of bin laden the top priority of our war

against al qaeda. i met repeatedly with my national team and determined we had enough intel jeps, at my direction -- i directed. i directed. >> so 27 seconds, you got a lot of edits in there to make your point. what you leave out is what the president also said in that very same address and i want to play that for folks. >> to give thanks for the men that carried out this operation, for they exemplified the exceptionalism and patriotism and unparalleled coverage of those who serve the country and part of a generation that is born the heaviest share of the burden since that september day. >> why leave that out? >> because of course the personal credit taken overshadows that, doesn't it? so does the high level access, hollywood producers who have given them a want to know basis rather than need to know basis, which is what's supposed to happen with classified material.

we're very motivated and worried about future operations being hindered and our brothers and sisters being put in harm's way unnecessarily because of politicians. >> i know you know some of the criticism and it is that even though you claim to be nonpartisan, that this group is actually very partisan. you're republican, ran for congress in 2010 in virginia's second congressional district. you have a rep in your group who worked for the bush administration and share office space with a republican groups. how do you answer that claim of being partisan when you claim that you're not? >> i answer that claim by saying this is an american issue. you yourself reported extensively on leaks, so as any other network out there. you don't want the other side to understand what the strategy is. i understand the criticism will say, people will say, you're a republican. i'm an american before i'm a republican and i was in the special operations community and

buried a lot of friends over the past few years. if by spiing out in a nonpartisan way will prevent future lives lost unnecessarily, i'll do it every single day. i'm an american before i'm a republican. >> scott, this is will cain. the criticism of whether or not you're partisan or nonpartisan seems beside the point to me. one area that might be legitimate criticism. you're focusing on leaks. legitimate leaks, leaks that have been criticized from democrats, stein but also reached a conclusion that they are coming from the administration and being used for political gain. do you think that is a fair conclusion to reach from the questions you're asking? >> that is the same conclusion that's been even on this network, suzanne kelly reported on it, same conclusion on other networks. what the american public needs to be educated on is that security is very compartmentalized, there are

certain a finite amount of people who know certain aspects of security. it had to be leaked from the highest levels of government. the president is the commander in chief and the way the military works, you are solely responsible for your house to keep it in order and keep the leaks responsible. it is up to the commander in chief, as you were commander of any military unit, to be responsible for your men as well. >> talk about her reporting, it did not come to a conclusion, as i think you well know that. ryan? >> the point you just made about president obama being the commander in chief, it seems it cuts both ways. if you're the commander in chief, you make that decision to get bin laden, you get the credit, don't you? i want to read you a statement from -- >> sure. >> why don't we just play it. >> at the end of the day, make no mistake about it, it was the president of the united states that shouldered the burden for this operation, that made the

hard decisions. >> so that's -- that's the commander in chief. why doesn't he get credit for executing that operation as commander in chief. if you're going to criticize him for leaks, why not the other side? >> that is a great question. and i absolutely believe that the president as should any president who over -- presided over this type of operation should get some credit. to the level of credit they have taken, it's pretty gross. admiral mccraven, what you left out in your clip, he specifically said and i'm pair phrasing, if these leaks aren't clamped down then people will get killed and operations will be hindered. you should have played that clip as well. >> president obama we should reiterate has said that also and i think there have been six prosecutions for leaks as well. it will be interesting to see -- >> there have also been an unprecedented act of leaks in this administration, high level

leaks over the past couple of years and that's why this group is speaking out. >> that is correct. you're absolutely right on that. thanks for joining us. scott taylor, president of special operations education fund. we appreciate you joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> still ahead this morning on "starting point." banning guns from college dorms. what the university of colorado is doing to try to prevent gun violence. our panel will weigh in on that. stunning photos from around the globe. some of the winners in the national geographic traveler photo contest and they are phenomenal. ♪ [ male announcer ] its lightweight construction makes it nimble... ♪ its road gripping performance makes it a cadillac. introducing the all-new cadillac xts. available with advanced haldex all-wheel drive. [ engine revving ] it's bringing the future forward.

welcome back to "starting point." when classes begin next week at the university of colorado, a

new policy will be in effect. students over 21 who have permits to carry a concealed weapon will be segregated in designated off-campus housing. the new policy applies in to campuses in boulder and colorado spring. students in the off campus housing will keep their guns in a safe when they are not carrying them. the issue of gun violence reared its head most recently with the movie theater shooting in aurora, colorado. >> it's interesting that the school trieded to ban guns entirely but the colorado supreme court overruled that saying they overstepped their thoxt it's amazing when there's this violence around schools that people should feel safe at schools, right? it's amazing the court struck that down. you would think you could ban a gun at the school. >> i don't think it's amazing at all. it's the crux of a heated debate

over are people -- >> in dorms? don't you think you would be allowed to ban guns in dorms? >> i think your overlooking is the threat rarely comes from those who have obeyed the law and got the concealed gun carrying permit -- >> the school should be allowed -- if you enter into a contract with the university, you want to come to that campus, the school should allow or be able to have a law against you having a firearm. >> a rule against that. i think that probably sounds reasonable that a school can make rules like that for its campus. as long as -- as long as it's in accordance with the state law. >> it will be interesting. i wonder how parents would feel about that, do you send your kid to a school that hasn't had rules about whether or not you can carry a concealed weapon in the dorm. >> apparently there aren't that many kids -- >> less than 1%. >> good news this this.

>> one dorm that's heavily armed. >> they can only carry in the dorm. >> there are rules, it's not just -- it sounds like there's a compromise here. ahead on "starting point." have you seen the winners of the 2012 "national geographic" traveler photo contest? the images are nothing short of stunning. we'll show you the 12,000 who won the top three. you're watching "starting point." we're back in a moment. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve,

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welcome back to "starting point." i'm john berman. a 10-year-old boy is dead and the search is on for his 6-year-old brother, both swept away in the river at yosemite

national park. they were taking a break from hiking when the tragedy happened. the 10-year-old is the park's third drowning victim has begun. the controversial keystone pipeline has broken ground. construction officially started near livingston, texas. it was met with heavy protests yesterday. at least one group has threatened sit-ins. approval for the international portion of the pipeline is still pending. president obama rejected that permit in january over concerns a rupture might threaten a sensitive aquifer in nebraska. all right. president clinton reunited with bill clinton. a 14-year-old ugandan native. bill clinton, who was born the same month the president first visited the east african country, was reunited with that bill clinton during his recent trip. president clinton encouraged his young namesake to stay focused on his dream of getting a medical degree and even offered to fund his education. i thought it was really cool to have a kid named after you,

until i learned someone named a cat after you. >> i had a cat named after me once. and it was a horrible, hissing, nasty cat. huh, i wonder why. [ laughter ] >> you have to love that bill clinton, though. >> that is so cute. isn't that great? i love it. >> i remember when he met that young man when he was a kid. it's a beautiful story. >> when i was in south africa, there were so many people who named their children after chris rock. and alicia keys. it was really a sweet thing. we move on now. they are simply stunning. i'm talking about pictures in national geographic's traveller magazine filled with incredible images taken from around the world. readers were given a chance to submit their own photos, and literally they are incredible. it's all part of the annual travellers photo contest. the best images were chosen from 12,000 submissions across 150 countries. the contributing editor of "national geographic travellers" george stone is with us to talk about some of the winners. while we're talking about, i want to talk about some of the

12,000 entries. really words do not describe how amazing some of the photos are. tell me a little bit about the contest and who entered. >> well, it's been an amazing explosion of entries. as you mentioned, we had 152 countries represented among these 12,000 entries. they're passionate travellers. they are individual people who go places, bring their cameras, and they compose a scene and they share their world with us. it was hard work to pick through these. but then again, it was a great opportunity because it broadened our horizons at "national geographic traveller." we think we know the world, but we don't. we haven't been everywhere. >> you look through them, and you think there's a million more places that i have to travel. if you look at the third place winner, it's called devotees in sicily, italy. let's throw that picture up. >> this is a holy week celebration. and these men have been carrying these heavy statues, this is the passion of christ, all night

long. and finally, at dawn, they get to stop and rest. and what you see on their faces is a passion of their own. they are exhausted. it almost -- you know, it's -- they near their own space. and yet you can relate to that. and it's one of those pictures of an event around the world that you'd like to travel to. >> second place, called my balloon. it was out of vietnam. that's beautiful. i love this picture. >> it's stunningly composed. there is some unique decisions that the photographers made here. one of them was to present it in black and white, which calgarys the viewer to add a little information, color. what is the scene like. but it also recedes this image into memory, and it almost seems like a dream. here are these kids playing in vietnam. they are from a tiny village and they are playing like kids do all around the world. >> first place a photo taken in afghanistan. and it's called butterfly. tell me about this photo. >> this we all agreed was the most remarkable picture of all. it's a very intimate shot.

the photographer earned the trust of these villagers, this woman and her daughter, to enter this yert, which is a felt tent. you can see the gorgeous text tiles behind them. and yet you see the tiny elements of modernity. a television and a stereo. so it's a convergence of worlds. and yet it's a very intimate shot, beautifully lit, beautifully composed. and it has texture and it's just a remarkable scene. >> when you are looking through these pictures, what's the most important thing you're looking for? is it the composition? or it seems like it's the story behind the picture. >> that's exactly right. we're looking for a sense of place and a story. and a story is a combination of knowns, things that you can see, things that you can gather information from, text tiles, and in this particular case the yert, the people, what they're wearing, but using your imagination to fill in. who is this woman? what are they doing?

is this how they live? and it is how they live. >> can i ask you, can you take a great travel picture on your phone? >> increasingly, you can. and that's one of the remarkable things. i think people are becoming more visual, and now people are equipped to take advantage of that all the time. so we have our smartphones. we travel with them. when a photographic opportunity arises, we are ready to snap it. >> next year, 25,000 submissions i'm sure. >> please, bring them on. we're ready to go. and we've got prizes for them. >> it looks amazing. >> well, one thing that's excite being this too is that the photography continues. the grand prize winner is actually going to the galapogos to take more pictures. >> we have to take a short break. now that he has been granted asylum, the wikileaks founder

julian assange go free? >> and she is burning mad. a dallas cowboy fan sues the team after she sat on a hot bench and got third degree burns. you're watching "starting point." ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life.

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closer. fear of lightning. worried homeowners watching the weather as those big wildfires are raging across the west. and it's a constitutional throwdown. the arizona governor jan brewer is banning benefits for young illegal immigrants. the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in america, joe arpaio, will talk to us about that. also, jason chaffetz is our guest. and also bryan curtis, who will talk about what it really means to be a fan. "starting point" begins right now. welcome, everybody. let me introduce you to our team this morning. richard sock rides is with us this morning. will cain is a columnist for theblaze.com. john berman is with us. cnn's new anchor and reporter.

nice to have you all. our "starting point" this morning is the paul ryan factor. a new cnn poll shows the, decision of congressman ryan to the ticket has turned his home state of wisconsin into a battle ground state, while the overall numbers aren't changing that much. 49% of registered voters say they support president obama. 45% say they support mitt romney. that's within the margin of error. it's the very positive polling of ryan in the state, though, that's really making it up for grabs in our cnn analysis. it's a state that hasn't gone to a republican since ronald reagan. jason chaffetz is a member of the budget committee and the oversight and government committees and also a supporter of mitt romney for president. it's nice to see you. thanks for being back with us. always a pleasure. >> good morning. >> let's talk about that polling i was just talking about. when you look at the actual numbers, as i said, it's still pretty close numberswise. 49% registered voters choice for president chose president obama. 45% for you're looking at mitt romney.

but it's the other elements in the poll that's getting people's attention. favorability, paul ryan is at 50%. when they ask about the choice of running mate, excellent or good, 54%. is he qualified to serve as president, 56% say yes. john king walked us through a map of how it would not just affect wisconsin but all of the midwest. howl all of that has to be good news. how much emphasis are you putting into the midwest states now? >> i'm heading to iowa this afternoon myself. so a lot of the efforts going into that area. paul ryan is a hunter, a family man. he grew up there. he is a man of integrity. he adds a youth factor that hasn't been on the ticket that i think is very appealing, and he knows his stuff. he is a good, energetic principled person, and i think people like to see that.

>> peggy noonan says the selection of paul ryan, though, is a long ball. and by that, i think she means, you know, it's a bit risky. she writes this in her op-ed in the "wall street journal." mitt romney just threw a long ball. fine. the gop will have to play an audacious long ball game. it's bold and it's risky. why are you convinced that the risky can overcome the bold? >> i don't think it's risky. i think it's mitt romney signalling to the world that he's serious about tackling the problems ahead of us. paul ryan is a serious player. he is the smartest guy on capitol hill in my opinion. he knows the budget. the appropriations process better than anybody else on either side of the aisle. he's earned a name and a reputation for working across the aisle in a bipartisan way. and i think that's what the strength of the ticket adds. and i think there are probably other paths of least resistance, but to select paul ryan, i couldn't be more proud of mitt romney making that selection.

and taking the fight on the issues. that's what it's all about. >> mitt romney says he has never paid less than 13% in taxes. we know as well that ann romney weighed in when she was being interviewed on "rock center." let's listen first to what the former governor had to say. >> i did go back and look at my taxes, and over the past 10 years, i never paid less than 13%. i think the most recent year is 13.6% or something like that. so i have paid taxes every single year. harry reid's charge is totally false. >> ok. and here is what ann romney said last night. >> we have been very transparent to what's legally required of us. but the more we release, the more we get attacked. the more we get questioned. the more we get pushed. and so we have done what's legally required, and there's going to be no more tax releases. >> do you think americans are

going to be satisfied with that? if you look at your median american household dual income families, it's something like $67,000, right? and their bracket is 15%, but they are paying an effective tax of 7%. and you look at someone who on his taxes that what we know so far $45 million -- $42 million from 2010/2011 who pays, he says, you know, never less than 13%. do you think people are going to say, wow, that's, you know, i think the number he used was 13.6% for those years. do you think that's going to be problematic in selling that to the american public? >> no. i think this is a side bar attempt to distract from the real issues that are out there. mitt romney and ann romney have done everything that's required by law. four years as governor, you know, a lot of financial disclosures out there. what's required by law, the romneys have put out there in this presidential race. he is one of the most well vetted persons out there.

i think that's the end of the story. i think introducing one other year or something like that will not necessarily solve the insatiable desire by the democrats to try to distract from the president's record and get into something that really isn't an issue. i have never had anybody ask me about this issue. >> so the obama campaign is now saying that if you release -- if mitt romney will release five years of tax information, they will call off on their additional release of information. so basically they are saying -- i know one of the responses, and i think we talked about this in the past, if we give two years, we'll ask for them. if you give five years, they'll ask for more. just release five years, and that will be enough. we'll stop asking. >> they did two years that was required by law. and then the releases for governor. it's a side issue that's just crazy. i don't really totally understand what they are trying to get at. but let's get onto the real issues about jobs and the economy. that's the message from the

romney folks. >> the kaiser poll is showing that 73% of people now are actually focused on medicare from all of this -- really ever since paul ryan was tapped to be on the ticket. we can show you that poll right there. 73%. and the conversation has moved away from the health care law, 59%. you talk about jobs and the economy. people really aren't discussing that, are they? they are talking about medicare and talking specifically about governor ryan's medicare plans and specifically about paul ryan's budget and paul ryan's medicare plans. isn't that -- isn't that problematic for your party? >> no. i think it's great. i was with speaker boehner the day before yesterday and he said, hey, let's go out and have this discussion. it's president obama who took $700 billion out of medicare. we're trying to save the program. and i think this is an issue that we should be discussing. i don't have a problem discussing medicare or medicaid or some other very important issue. of course we should be talking about that. but i think we've got the winning side of the issue.

and obama care is not a popular issue for the president. so i think it's fair game. >> would you encourage people to go check out the aarp's -- you know, what the aarp says about those numbers, what the aarp says about medicare advantage? because the aarp of course as you know has like 480 million members and they are the advocacy group for older americans, and they say they are nonprofit and nonpartisan. and what they say about the law is very different from what you say. would you encourage, you know, everyone to go check that out? >> hey, i want people to look at the full array of information that is out there. and, yeah, let's stick to the facts. but let's also look at the congressional budget office that says obama care makes medical expenses more expensive, and let's keep to the facts that president obama did take $700 billion out of medicare. you know, if we stick to the facts, that's great. of course, look at that side. look at the other side. look at the congressional budget office.

>> we have had this conversation 15 times at least, and as you know, it's not taking money out of medicare. it's a decrease in spending over time, and a decrease that you yourself i'm assuming voted for in paul ryan's budget in 2011 and in 2012. he had that same number in his budget. didn't you vote for that? >> it's not exactly the same number. i did vote in favor of the two budgets that we passed. that we passed on the floor of the house. i would also encourage people to look at the fact that paul ryan did something with senator wideman, a very well established democrat, that puts this plan in place to help save medicare. >> but now you're criticizing something that you voted for twice, right? i mean, essentially, you voted for it. >> no. >> you did in ryan's budget. >> soledad, it's a totally different approach. it's not -- we didn't just copy what president obama said. that's not true. that's a misrepresentation. how to actually do it and execute it is very important. and there are two fundamentally

different approaches on how to do this. for instance, the independent payment advisory board is not something that i support, but it takes that $700 billion that obama took out and puts it in control of these bureaucrats in washington, d.c. so i think -- no, i don't think it's right. here's what's important. we're going to have to come up with a bipartisan solution in order to make that work. i think paul ryan has showed an aptitude to do that by introducing something with senator wyden. the president has been in office for four years. >> something that includes those same exact numbers that republicans are bashing. >> that's an oversimp indicatli. >> you and i have spent more time i'm sure reading the cbo reports. but at the end of the day, that same number crunching was voted on by virtually every single republican in 2011 and then again in 2012. that is fair to say. >> the original -- but the

original criticism was that television commercials and other things, grandma going over the cliff, and that the republicans are going to destroy medicare, that's just fundamentally not true. we're supporting this because we want to save medicare. we have said for those that are 55 years old and older, there are going to be no changes. that is not what the president's plan says. >> throwing grandma over the cliff is supposed to get attention. >> it was inaccurate and unfair. >> but you give people vouchers for medicare. >> no, it's not. >> it's not a voucher program? >> soledad, i love being on your program. but it is not a voucher program. it is premium support. and that is different than a voucher program. to say that it is false, misleading, derogatory, and inaccurate. for those that are 55 years and older it does not change the program for them. >> you give people money to go and buy their own insurance, right? >> no. >> but we're arguing over

semantics. at the end of the day, isn't it essentially you would give someone money to buy their own insurance? >> no. a premium support program is different than a voucher program. they're just fundamentally different. and it's intended to scare people. >> walk me through how that's different. >> because some people that have maybe more needs, more medical needs, they have less income, they are going to have more flexibility and more assets to go do what they need to do in order to have some choice and flexibility and create computation in the marketplace. >> so they'll get more money and be able to go buy something specific. it's choice, right? they get to buy something specific. >> it's premium support. that's different. >> they get a voucher to go buy something. we are arguing over semantics. we have to move on. >> i would disagree. >> there are lots of elements of the budget that we can walk through, and i would appreciate it. so we'll keep this conversation going because i think a lot of people are very confused about this and the ads that are over

the top on both sides, i will add. that certainly doesn't help on either side. always nice to see you, jason chaffetz. appreciate it. >> thank you, soledad. john berman has the top stories for us. news out of afghanistan this morning where two u.s. service members have been killed. a uniformed afghan officer turned his gun on the troops before being shot and killed himself. this is just the latest incident in a string of similar attacks on u.s. forces. and it follows a taliban statement where the group said it has infiltrated afghanistan's security forces. cnn at this point cannot verify that claim. it appears wikileaks founder julian assange will risk arrest by leaving ecuador's embassy in london to make a public statement on sunday. we'll see. ecuador just granted political asylum to assange, a decision that's escalated tensions with britain. assange has been holed up in that embassy since june to avoid extradition to sweden, where he

faces sexual assault charges. wildfires burning out of control this morning across the sun-scorched pacific northwest. dozens of fires are now burning in 13 states, most of them in california, nevada, and idaho. in western washington state, a new wildfire concern, and that of course is lightning. and they are expecting hot dry weather this weekend, soledad. >> some of those stories from people who have lost everything there is just heartbreaking. and of course the animals too. they are penned in and they get caught in the fire. >> wildfires are something that are hard to project yourself into. a big fire threatening you, i went to pepperdine in southern california. it really is scary a wall of fire moving toward your home. >> and it's fast. so much faster than you would think. it goes across a field in seconds. >> i lived in east bend. >> that fire, horrible. >> yeah. unbelievable. still ahead on "starting point," a verdict just in in the

case of the russian rockers for a song slamming president putin, a case watched by everybody from paul mccartney to madonna. we'll tell you the latest on their fate. and our "tough call" today. a little boy, 12 years old, told he's too big to play peewee football because he is little in age but not in size. he is nearly 300 pounds. we'll tell you his story on "starting point." we're back in a moment. everyone has goals. take the steps to reach yours, with us with real advice, for real goals. the us bank wealth management advisor can help you. every step of the way. from big steps, to little steps. since 1863 we've helped guide our clients, so they can take the steps to help grow, preserve, and pass along their wealth. so their footsteps can help the next generation find their own path. all of us serving you.

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developing story right now that we're covering. in just the past hour, a verdict coming in regarding a russian female group that's accused of hooliganism after they were arrested for performing a song that was critical of president vladimir putin. the three members found guilty.

now each faces up to seven years in prison for that stunt. the case sparked global protests in support of the band. superstars like madonna and paul mccartney have been protesting the case. we have a live report from moscow. what was the reaction? seven years, that's a tough sentence. on. >> reporter: well, soledad, just to be clear, it's a potential sentence which they can get. the judge in the court right now has been reading through her judgment. and it certainly sounds like the judgment will be guilty. she has spoken about how she heard the facts. she repeatedly has spoken about the insult. they were in the church at the time. so a guilty verdict looks very

likely at this point, but there's no surprise. the key issue now is what will the punishment be. these women have already been in custody for some time. they could potentially get seven years under the law. the prosecutor has asked for three years. russians have very much been tuning in and weighing in about just how they should be punished. many believe that -- >> phil, i'm going to interrupt you there because we are losing your audio. you're cutting in and out. but you're saying that essentially they are facing seven years now. that they have been found guilty. and we will know soon exactly what is their punishment. seven years would be on the high end of a very severe sentence. vladimir putin himself has actually put out calls to lessen -- you know, not so tough because a lot of the backlash, what was sort of a domestic story in russia has become an international story with major rockers weighing in on behalf of

the women. and it's become very messy certainly from a p.r. perspective for him. so that's been very problematic. we'll continue to watch that story develop and figure out what their sentences are as well. still ahead this morning, our "tough call," the story of a 12-year-old boy in texas. he's been told he's too big to play peewee football. is it fair? the kid is 6 feet tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds. i'm not sure that qualifies as peewee football. we'll debate that up next. don't forget you can watch us on your computers or mobile phones while you're at work. go to cnn.com/tv. we're back in a moment. and then, in one blinding blink of an eye, their tree had given its last. but with their raymond james financial advisor, they had prepared for even the unthinkable.

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welcome back to "starting point." i'm poppy harlow. watching your money this morning, your money moving to asia. a new survey called the wealth report says singapore will be home to the richest people in the world by 2050, and the list is dominated by asian economies, singapore topping it with an estimated annual per capita income of about $138,000. that followed by hong kong, tie ban, and south korea. the only economy projected to remain on the list is the u.s. ever had to suffer through a meal next to someone on their cell phone? we all have. we hate it. one los angeles restaurant feeling your pain. eva restaurant is offering a 5% discount on your bill for leaving your phone with a hostess in that box during the entirety of your meal.

they estimate 48% to 50% of their customers have opted in, ditched their cell phones and taken the discount. i love that. but are we allowed to do that as reporters? >> i don't know. >> not enough. >> they should up the service, make it a 10% discount, and you can pay to have someone monitor your phone for you. >> delete all the emails you don't need. >> i have a friend that has a rule that when we have dinner, we have to put our cell phones in the middle of the table. >> there are about 12 cell phones on the table right now. >> we're working. "tough call" this morning. 12-year-old boy is told he is too big to play peewee football. he is more than 6'1". tips the scale at nearly 300 pounds. the league president says, hey, there's a rule. and the rule is any seventh grader who weighs more than 135 pound siz pounds is barred. his mom says he was allowed to practice with the team for three weeks. she plans to protest.

this is a good tough call. because on one hand, he is 12 years old. he wants to play football. if i had a kid who weighed 120 pounds, kind of an average sixth grade, seventh grade size, like you getting hit by that kid would be really dangerous. >> why is it that kid needs to get out and not your kid? >> my hypothetical kid. >> no one is telling boys who are too thin or too small they can't play football. why is my kid too big? >> there's no rule against it. >> if you average out the numbers and the weight, most of the kids are actually in that 130 range. >> interesting question. it's because you're a menace to other kids, you're a threat to other kids. if you're too small, you are only a threat to yourself. not a menace. i meant a threat. >> he could really hurt someone. but why doesn't he play with the older kids? >> but it's not the solution, right, because he doesn't know how to play football. he has just been playing for three weeks. if he plays with the bigger kids, they are better at football. >> i bet he'd be pretty good at it.

>> i feel bad for elijah, but this is not a tough call. >> i agree. >> there's a weight limit, and he exceeds the weight limit. end of story. >> he is a 12-year-old boy. he describes himself as a gentle giant. and says i've been playing for three weeks and he really likes it. >> i'm sure that's true. >> he could be a total superstar and get a college scholarship, go to the nfl. >> that's right. >> poppy and i are thinking the same thing. still ahead this morning on "starting point," arizona governor jan brewer picking a fight with the white house. this time over benefits for young illegal immigrants. we'll talk this morning to sheriff joe arpaio. he's been in a middle of a bunch of fights like this. [ male announcer ] when a major hospital

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welcome back, everybody. you're watching "starting point." in just a few moments, we're going to be talking to sheriff joe arpaio, the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in america. going to talk about what he thinks of arizona governor's constitutional throwdown. that is what it's being called with the white house over benefits for young illegal immigrants. that's just ahead. first, though, we want to look at the day's top stories. john's got that. >> we're looking at a deadly confrontation between police and striking miners in south africa. this was captured on tape, but i warn you these are some tough pictures to look at this morning. riot police opened fire on a group of workers armed with sticks and machetes. at least 18 people were killed. the ground littered with dead bodies. it happened at a platinum mine near johannesburg. police say they acted in self defense after trying to disperse the crowd peacefully. in a show of solidarity,

president obama and mitt romney will not run campaign ads on september 11. similar steps were taken during the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaign. priorities usa, the pro obama super pac, also agreed not to run ads. but restore our future, pro obama pac, hasn't responded yet to tell us what they are doing on that day. and now a defunct philadelphia swim club has agreed to settle a discrimination case three years after declaring bankruptcy. the valley club was accused of denying children from a minority day care center access to the facility. dozens of kids will share in the proceeds from the sale of the swim club, which went for nearly $1.5 million. sports fans, beware. a dallas cowboys fan is suing the team and owner jerry jones claiming she suffered third degree burns after sitting on a hot cowboy stadium bench. the suit claims no signs were posted saying that the bench was too hot for people to sit on. the woman says she was forced to

undergo skin grafts. so watch out, cowboy fans. >> that sounds awful. let's talk about the protesters who are marching on the state capitol in arizona after governor jan brewer issued an executive order blocking illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses under president obama's new deferred action program. people have been lining up across the country to apply for the new program. it took effect on wednesday. the program is limited to immigrants under the age of 30 who satisfy certain criteria. lets them avoid deportation for two years. they can obtain temporary documents like driver's licenses and work permit, benefits that governor brewer says should not be available to those living in the country illegally. >> we will issue an employment authorization card to those people that apply, but they will not be entitled to a driver's license or any public benefits. in response to the public

overwhelmingly voting that no public benefits would be extended to illegal aliens in the state of arizona. >> sheriff joe arpaio of maricopa county, arizona, is my guest this morning. thank you for talking with us. so the governor in her executive order says the licenses are required to be denied. federal law, the real i.d. act of 2005, specifically says that immigrants who are granted deferred action can get driver's licenses. as someone who represents law enforcement, what are you going to follow, the state or the feds? >> well, you know, i like to follow the state. they are suing me in federal court, the department of justice accusing me of racial profiling. and other things. so i'm the elected sheriff. i'm going to enforce the state laws. i took an oath of office. and the federal laws that we have been doing in the past. >> so an editorial in the arizona republic says this.

i'm going to read it to you. it says, this does not nothing for her party, which diminishes its future with every hard line stance on immigration issues when compassion is called for. they are talking about the gop. there are legitimate differences of opinion on how to treat adults who came to this country without documents. it should not extend to young people who had no choice in coming mehere, who have been educated in our schools and have something to give back. they also say in this editorial it doesn't do anything to make the state of arizona better. do you think in fact it does have negative implications for the gop in a state that's heavily latino in an election year? >> first of all, i don't read the editorial page of "the republic." that's not a good source for me. number two, this is a political season. why did the president sign an executive order at this time

when there's an election coming up? so this is definitely politics. this whole situation on illegal immigration. and the white house and congress one of these days should look at it, forget the executive orders, but get some laws passed. that's what should be happening. >> i think there are a lot of people who would agree with you on that front. i guess going back to the arizona republic editorial which i know you don't read, the point they are making is it could be challenging for the gop at a time when you have a heavily latino population, the demographics that show it's only going more that direction, and a group of young people that for even people who feel very divided on this issue would say, there might be an exception for those people whose parents brought them into the country as children. they're saying it's a risk for the party. >> well, you know, it's sad bringing politics into this. but it is politics. you think i'm concerned? i'm up for re-election for the sixth time. i know that some of the latinos

don't like what i am doing. but you have to do what you took an oath of office to do, and i'm going to do it. i'm a good example of that. so i'm not concerned about the re-election or politics. we have to do what's right for the people of this state and this country. and forget the politics. if that can ever be accomplished. >> i was going to say, can you take apart this conversation? i mean, really can you talk about immigration honestly on both sides without having politics heavily embedded in it? >> of course. it can be done if somebody will sit down and talk. in a civil manner. that's not occurring with me. all they do is demonstrate against me and threaten me. but, no, it can be accomplished. we're the greatest country in the world. you think we can't solve any problems? we can solve this problem if there's the will to do it. and forget the politics and other reasons for not doing it.

the bottom line is they want amnesty. this administration wants amnesty. that's another big issue. >> and your bottom line is that a young person who is given this deferment should not get a driver's license? >> if they are here illegally, then that's correct. get the job done. get the -- be here legally, and then that will solve a problem. but that's going to be very difficult to accomplish in the environment that we're in right now. >> sheriff joe arpaio, our guest this morning. thank you for talking with us. appreciate it. >> thank you. still ahead this morning on "starting point," are you a real college football fan? are you a real college football fan? not just a kind of college football fan, but a real one? we'll see if you can pass the test when one of our favorite sportswriters joins us straight ahead.

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statue of liberty. beautiful day. it's always interesting to look when the sun comes up. oh, that's what the day looks like. we've been inside the studio all day. just a little over two weeks before college football season kicks off for another year. and today we are talking about the rules of college fandom, when you can be a fan and when you cannot. it's a new article. it is acceptable to be a fan if you graduated from the school, you flunked out from the school, you're a professor, you married into the school, have you a kid at the school or you wanted to go there and something kept you from going. but you cannot be a fan if you grew up down the street or moved to a college town or your family went to the school but not you or if you went to an ivy. we'll talk more about that. bryan curtis wrote the article. nice to have you.

>> thanks for having me. >> why did you feel the need to parse through what -- what you're clearly saying is authentic fans and fake fans. >> i think college football starts in two weeks, like you said. and there's some confusion out there. anybody can be a fan of the game, of college football itself. there's some confusion about when you can have a legitimate claim to a particular team. so i wanted, you know, it's an election season. there's a lot of misinformation out there and spirit of bipartisan, nonpartisanship -- >> which we appreciate. >> fairly contentious show here. i wanted to just lay out the rules, so there would be no confusion at all. >> when you can say we, right, in referring to a team. we won. that's what you're laying out. >> we. right. >> but how come it's acceptable if you wanted to go to the school but you didn't get to go, and it's not acceptable if your entire family went to the school and you just didn't happen to go? >> well, this is the thing. let's say in a hardship case, i wanted to go to the university of texas but i didn't have the grades, the money, my mom was sick. that's ok for me to be a texas

fan. if i look texas in the face and said absolutely not, these academics are not good enough for me, this isn't the kind of place i want to go, then that, see, that's an -- you were absolutely -- i am throwing the school under the bus and absolutely can't be a fan of the school. barred forever. >> you can't come back later and upgrade from your ivy league school? >> i think that's fair. >> it's not just picking it. you can't shift allegiances in the middle? >> thewell, mr. cain went to -- >> i have a legitimate case to make. >> pepperdine undergrad. >> which explains a lot, i think. >> with no football team. he was an ncaa free agent. then he goes to grad school at the university of texas, so his fandom is legitimate. >> how come you can't be a fan if you went to ann ivy? john berman and i who went to harvard are a little offended. >> i went to columbia and sat through some miserable seasons. >> that's true. you did. >> to be clear, you can be a fan of the harvard football team, right?

ryan fitzpatrick went undefeated in 2004. now plays for the buffalo bills. as ivy league football teams go, that's pretty good. but what if i said i went to the university of texas, but i'll always claim harvard's research library as my own. >> i see. >> you get to claim it as your own? that sounds absolutely ridiculous. and the same thing at harvard, i loved lsu my whole life. come on. that's just absurd. >> the article is hilariously funny. thank you for talking to us about it. thank you. ahead on "starting point," a massive shipment of those gorgeous red soled shoes stopped in their tracks. we'll tell you what they would have gone for if they'd hit the market.

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welcome back to "starting point," everyone. a quick check of some of the stories we're following this morning. u.s. customs turns into a giant shoe closet after agents seize thousands of fake christian loub tan shoes in los angeles. the nearly 20,500 pairs of counterfeit red soled shoes could have brought in $18 million. that's a lot of money, if they had reached the underground market. there was a wild ride through the streets of midtown manhattan yesterday as a spooked carriage horse broke loose and bolted up broadway yesterday afternoon right outside of cnn here. a couple in the back of the carriage were thrown to the ground.

thankfully the passengers and drivers suffer only minor injuries and look at that car go down that hill. this car is obliterated as it flips down a mountain during the pikes peak international hill climb. the drivers miraculously survive. but even better, they were on piers morgan last night talking about this accident. listen to them. >> the moment i knew it was all over for us is when we started to get towards the gravel and flying off the edge. i had a slight delayed reaction. but after that, it was just tumble, tumble, and just hope for it to stop as soon as possible. >> tumble, tumble. just a little tumble down the hill. look at that car. it's crazy. >> and they say they are going to do it again. >> piers asked them. and they said, not tomorrow. but maybe someday we'll do it again. >> i think one of the guys just had his arm in a sling. they were really not badly injured at all. >> lucky. this week's cnn hero is bringing hope and some opportunity too to young

mothers, some as young as 11 years old. take a look. >> teen pregnancy in cartegena is a very big issue. when you go to the slums, it is unbelievable what you see. >> many of my girls live here. >> you see these girls, they are babies holding babies. >> about 10 years ago, i was volunteering at this maternity hospital. and i was holding this baby. and he passed away with me. his teen mother failed to raise the money to get treatment. four days later, my own son passed away in an accident. i realized i didn't want any mother to feel the same grief that i went through. my name is catalina escobar. and i'm helping teen moms get a healthy and productive life for them and for their babies.

when we first started at the maternity hospital, we reduced medically the infant mortality rate. but the problem was much bigger than that. my girls end up being pregnant because they don't have sexual education, and many of my girls are sexually abused. when my girls come, they drop their babies in the day care center. we have different workshops so they can develop their skills. we are changing the lives of these girls. if you give them the right tools, they are capable of moving forward. "end point" is up next. we're back in a moment. ♪

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for our "end point," we start with a viewer whose name is frank from ft. lauderdale, florida. we were talking yesterday about vice president biden's chains remark and also the hostile tone of the debate overall. here's what he said about that. >> his words should not be used

at all. republicans or democrats. president obama should denounce them. and some of the words that republicans are using, we should step in and say this is not where we want to be as a country. we're a great country. our political system is great also. it's just we get bogged down in words sometimes. we need to talk about jobs and what's really going on with this country and how we move forward to be the great country that we are. >> frank swetweets us every sin de day here on "starting point." and "end point." poppy, you start us off. >> you just talked to joe arpaio, and he said he thinks we can have a debate about immigration and not be political. but it's about money. the state budget, the federal budget is strapped. it's about who and what you're going to give money to. and that is political. >> i thought the most

interesting thing about the arizona interview was that we litigated this with arizona, all the way to the supreme court, and the supreme court ruled that arizona could not set immigration policy. just a couple of months ago. and they are back at it now. >> she would say what we're doing is saying we're not going to give driver's licenses. and i bet that's the nuance that they will say. will cain? >>i want to return to a poll that showed paul ryan's high favorability ratings in wisconsin. this is the most encouraging thing for that ticket. he is still unknown nationally. people don't know who paul ryan is. but it suggests when they do get to know him, they like him. >> it will be interesting. a lot of this week has been all about introducing paul ryan. >> i think the democrats had a good week this week. if the best news out of this is that he -- they are within four points in wisconsin, if the best news six days into this is that they are within four points in the home state of the guy they picked, i'm feeling pretty good. coming up monday on "starting point," we're going to be